The 5th Guth Gafa Film Festival closed on Sunday 13th June after a long weekend of sold-out, award-winning screenings, Q&A’s with directors, industry events with international panellists and experts and dancing in the Guth Gafa Festival cafe and club.
Thirty-five film screenings featured twenty-nine international and Irish directors as part of an industry guest list of over 100 people. Nine screenings were fully sold-out, and average attendances were over 70% of capacity in the three venues in Gortahork. Industry events were also well attended and the debates were robust and wide-ranging.
Sold-out screenings included two Irish films, namely ‘His and Hers’, by Ken Wardrop, and ‘Gilbert O'Sullivan - Out on his Own’, by Adrian McCarthy. Also fully attended were: ‘Divorce Iranian Style’ by Kim Longinotto, who was present as a special guest of the Festival, and ‘The Horse Boy’ by Michel Orion Scott. Most directors were in attendance and every venue hosted Q&A sessions where some lively debates took place.
Special guests of the Festival included directors from 15 different countries, the Swiss Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Beat Loeliger, Minister for Communications, Eamon Ryan, Chief Executive of the Broadcast Authority of Ireland, Michael O'Keeffe, and singer-songwriter, Gilbert O'Sullivan.
Guth Gafa International Documentary Film Festival is supported by IFTN, Bord Scannán na hÉireann, RTÉ, The Arts Council, TG4, The Radharc Trust, Screen Producers Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, FÁS/STI, The Broadcast Authority of Ireland, Donegal County Council, Goethe-Institute Dublin, Óstán Loch Altan and other industry partners.
Images from the festival can be viewed in the IFTN Gallery
